


To Rebuild

by thesometimeswarrior



Series: Hold the Fort: Pictures of Hogwarts During the Year of the Carrows [11]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Mentor/Protégé, Missing Scene, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-30
Updated: 2016-01-30
Packaged: 2018-05-17 06:38:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5858218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesometimeswarrior/pseuds/thesometimeswarrior
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Battle of Hogwarts, McGonagall discusses the past and the future with her ally-in-arms and former student.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Rebuild

It was three days after the Battle when she asked to see him, and, though exhausted, he walked with a newfound confidence into the office into which he had slinked, trying to make himself small, so many times over the past seven years. 

“Not the Head’s office, then?” He smiled to himself as he asked the question, knowing that before this year, he’d never have addressed her like this. But over the past year, they’d been allies, more brothers-in-arms than teacher and student, and they both knew it. This was appropriate; even if their war was over, to return to such formality felt wrong.

“It doesn’t feel like mine.” 

He nodded.

“I suppose, come September,” she continued. “I’ll have to make it mine. And I will. But not yet.”

They were silent for a moment, thinking of what was lost, even as their victory was gained, until she spoke again, changing the subject. “Have you slept, Mr. Longbottom?”

Neville knew she was looking at the bags heavy under his eyes, but as he looked at his mentor’s old face, he noted that she had ones identical to his. “Have you?”

McGonagall sighed, wearily, and then gazed up at her former student. “I never had a chance to properly thank you, Neville.”

“Anyone could have hauled that sword out of the Hat. After this past year, we were all brave enough. Just lucky I had it there, really.”

The old Professor raised her eyebrow. “Everyone may have been forced to be courageous this year, but that anyone could have acquired the Sword of Gryffindor under the circumstances you were under and have the courage to step forth and decapitate that snake is untrue, and I think you know it. But that wasn’t to what I was referring.”

Neville cocked his head. “Then…?”

“I meant for the past year, Neville. Thank you for protecting the students of Hogwarts. Because you were able to keep them safe in ways that we faculty, constantly scrutinized by the Carrows, were not. And you did.”

“It wasn’t just me. I had a lotta help--I had the whole D.A.!”

“And they also deserve recognition and shall have it. But while it may not have been you alone, it was because of you. You were their leader, and I very much doubt they’d have done it as well without you.”

After all these years, praise still stunned him, and Neville was only able to stand silently before McGonagall.

So she, seeming to understand, continued. “And furthermore, you did a lot to help us teachers this year, too. In ways too great for me to express. You were a crucial confidant for many of us: for me, for Pomona, for Filius, for Poppy, even. Thank you, Neville.”

When he finally regained his ability to move and speak, the young man shrugged, and sputtered, “There wasn’t a choice to make. I didn’t choose to be…I just…the people here just matter to me a lot. I didn’t think about it…I just had to do what I could to help ‘em while we all needed it. That’s all.”

“That’s not insignificant, Mr. Longbottom.”

Neville, again, merely shrugged. 

“Anyway, this brings me to my next point. What are your plans for the future?”

“What’s this, then? A Careers Advice meeting?”

“Well,” smiled McGonagall. “I daresay we haven’t had many over the past year.”

He laughed at that. “Well, I dunno really. I didn’t really concentrate on my N.E.W.T.s this year at all. Maybe I should redo the year. At least try to take the Herbology exam, ya know?”

“And after that?”

“I really haven’t got a clue. Before this year, I thought I’d be happy just working with plants, in some lab somewhere. But after everything that’s happened, I dunno if that’s what I want. I think this year’s shown me how much I value people, especially people here in this school. So I guess my priority at this moment is just helping to rebuild. Do what I can so that, despite everything, kids can have the Hogwarts experience I did before Voldemort came back, or hopefully even a better one. And learn some more Herbology if I can. Then I'll go from there."

There was a twinkle in McGonagall’s eye as she asked, “How would you feel about helping to rebuild on a more permanent basis?”

“Sorry?”

“I’m afraid this year has taken a lot out of some of our faculty, many of whom weren’t young to begin with. So I believe that in the next few years we shall find ourselves with a number of vacant teaching positions. In the past, positions were sometimes offered to the person who was convenient for Professor Dumbledore to have here, but I want to ascertain that, moving forward, our faculty are not only knowledgeable and passionate about their subjects and have the potential to be excellent teachers of them, but also are people who care deeply about Hogwarts and her students. You've demonstrated that you fit this description beautifully, Mr. Longbottom.”

“I…Are you offering me a job, Professor?”

“If you would like it. You would make a fine Herbology Professor. ”

“Is Professor Sprout leaving?”

“Not right away, but yes, in the next year or two. When I mentioned this to Pomona, she agreed to stay on for another few terms to train you, and to teach the higher years while you finish studying the N.E.W.T.-level material, and to supervise you as you learn to teach.”

“Does she think I can do this?”

“She believes you’d be splendid.”

“Do you?”

“I have no doubt.”

“I…Merlin. Thank you, Professor.”

“Well?”

“I…I’ll have to give it a bit more thought, but…yeah, I think so. You know, I never saw myself feeling like I’d be happy and fulfilled and…and _good_ at any career. But this? This seems to make sense! I want to help this place to be as good as it can be! And I can do that through Herbology.”

McGonagall smiled as she hardly had at all over the year, and even since the end of the battle.

Neville, following suit, continued, “Who would have thought that the eleven-year-old who lost his toad on the Hogwarts Express would become a Hogwarts Professor, eh?”

“You have grown a lot, Mr. Longbottom,” said the wizened woman across from Neville. “But this? This was always in you.”

“Yeah?”

“Absolutely.”

“Thank you. Truly.”

“I look forward to serving with you, Mr. Longbottom.”

“Likewise, Professor,” said Neville, standing to leave the office. He’d never felt like he had a sense of purpose before the preceding year, and that was a short-lived purpose, a wartime purpose. But now? Now he felt imbued with the same meaning but in the long term, like the same reason he'd had for being over the past year was with him still, refreshed and renewed for peace. There was no better feeling, thought Neville. He smiled. “Likewise.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed.


End file.
